This petition is in response to Dreamwork’s new film, Tropic Thunder , directed by Ben Stiller and starring Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. as a group of prima donna actors filming a Vietnam War movie when their fed-up writer-director decides to dump them in the middle of a real war. It is due for release on August 13, 2008.

A particular sore point has been the film’s repeated use of the term “retard” in referring to a character, Simple Jack, who is played by Mr. Stiller in a subplot about an actor who chases an Oscar by portraying a mindless dolt.

In a statement on Sunday, Chip Sullivan, a DreamWorks spokesman, said the movie was “an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations.” Mr. Sullivan, in the statement, added that the film was not meant to disparage or harm people with disabilities and that DreamWorks expected to work closely with disability groups in the future. But, he said, “No changes or cuts to the film will be made.”

In one scene alone, the word “retard” is used over 16 times. One of the movie’s catch phrases is “never go full retard”. T-shirts have already been made with the phrase “Full Retard”.

Also, find your local movie listings and get out there and protest!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopTropicThunder/

Thank-you,
Melissa Hart